Irish sporting legend Shay Given lost his mother Agnes, to lung cancer when he was just four years old.

As she underwent treatment in hospital from November to February, Shay's memories of her all centre around Christmas.

"I think it was the nurses and doctors they bought us all presents, and we opened them around Christmas time around the bed. It's the only memories I have as such because I was so young", he said in an poignant interview on the the Ray D'Arcy show

Shay paid tribute to his father who was left to care for 6 children under the age of 11.

He said, "It was very tough, I was only four at the time. My dad had a tough time of course, there was six of us at the time. It was very tough for him"

While other family members tried to step in Shay's father refused preferring to keep his kids together, "My aunties who offered through love to take a couple of kids each to try and share the burden on my dad but he was having none of it."

Despite loosing his mother at such an early age, Shay described how he could feel her presence when he was acting as the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, "I used it as a strength playing football. I'd say a few prayers before a game, pray to her and I think she was there helping me all the time."

Speaking of his mother he told Ray D'Arcy that she was "A woman I can barely remember but I can never forget."